Sunita Williams returns to Earth: What is her connection to India?

Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and her crewmate, Butch Wilmore, finally returned to Earth after their prolonged nine-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS).

As the news of their safe splashdown reached India, a village in Gujarat erupted in celebration.

Williams’ father is of Indian origin and her roots can be traced to Jhulasan in Mehsana district.

From special prayers to aartis and yagnas, villagers rejoiced and burst firecrackers, welcoming her home.

Let’s take a closer look.

Sunita Williams’ link to Gujarat village

Williams’ paternal village is Jhulasan village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat.

She was born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, US, to Indian parents Deepak Pandya and Bonnie Pandya.

Her father, a neuroscientist, moved to the United States in 1957 and married Slovene-American Ursuline Bonnie.

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According to the citizen engagement platform, the Government of Gujarat, the tiny village has a population of roughly 7,000 people who are proud that the astronaut is connected to their village.

In fact, there is a small library in the village that is named after her father’s family home as well as her grandparents.

Williams has reportedly made three trips to Jhulasan after successfully completing space missions: in 1972, 2007 and 2013, according to BBC.

During one of her visits, she also donated funds to a school in her ancestral town, which still has a photo of her grandparents in its prayer hall.

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For many years, Williams has also served as an inspiration in India, particularly for young ladies who aspire to touch the stars.

The celebration

When India learnt of the safe splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, Jhulasan erupted in lavish festivities.

ANI shared visuals showing villagers celebrating, bursting firecrackers, lighting diyas, offering sweets, and singing bhajans in temples in gratitude. Their trust was finally rewarded when they kindled an Akhand Jyot (eternal flame) at the nearby temple of Goddess Dola Mata and prayed for her safe return for months.

Her cousin, Dinesh Rawal, had even organised a yagna in Ahmedabad seeking divine blessings for a smooth landing. Speaking about her return, he told CNN-News18, “We are really very happy today. We prayed entire night for safe landing. Last nine months were not easy for us. We were really worried… Sunita is very brave.”

According to Williams’ cousin, Navin Pandya, a grand procession will be held in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks to create a festive atmosphere similar to Diwali and Holi.

The villagers are keen to invite her to the village in future.

“We have organised a procession with Sunita Williams’ photograph and will perform a ‘dhun’ (prayer chanting) at the temple. We had been offering prayers and lighting the Akhand Jyot for her safe return. This Jyot will be offered to Goddess Dola Mata on Wednesday after her return to Earth,” said Pandya.

Also read:  In Graphics | How does the human body change in space?

Love for samosas

Williams was the first astronaut to eat samosas on the ISS, according to NDTV.

In an interview with the channel in 2016, she had said she planned to bring a statue of Lord Ganesh, whom she referred to as her “good luck charm,” on her next space mission.

“I love samosas. I had asked for some special things that reminded me of home, and one of those things was samosas. And so my family was somehow able to work with Nasa – we get some care packages when we are up in space for a long time, and so they put the samosas in there, and it was a nice surprise,” she said.

When asked what she planned to bring on her next journey, the astronaut replied that it would most likely be a Ganesh idol. She had previously taken the Bhagvad Gita into space.

“Something for my niece and nephew, who are both Indian. I will probably bring something for them, some Indian toys as well as probably another Ganesh, because Ganesh is my good luck charm… I’m more of a just a spiritual person. I just know he’s there with me, guiding (me),” she said.

Also read: 4 days to go: How Nasa plans to bring back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore

Friendship with Kalpana Chawla

Williams added that she had been close friends with Kalpana Chawla, another astronaut of Indian descent, since they first met when she joined Nasa.

“We did a lot of things together. Did a lot of nature walks, went bike riding quite a bit, just talked a lot. She’s just the type of person that you would automatically connect with. And probably our similar backgrounds, just having Indian parents, you know, lent itself to that,” she said.

Speaking about concerns over Chawla’s death when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated before reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere in 2003, Williams said, “I knew we would come to a conclusion and understand exactly what happened to Space Shuttle Columbia. And we would fix that problem. And moving on from there, I think all of the Columbia crew, all the members there, were all good friends of ours in the astronaut office. And I think what their dream, their vision, was just to continue and to explore.”

“And, so, it worries us all. I think every time we or any of our friends from the office get on a rocket, it’s a big explosion essentially that you’re sitting on. But those are calculated risks,” she added.

The homecoming

The celebrations started following the Dragon spacecraft's successful splashdown, which brought Williams back along with Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Following the landing, Hague delivered his first message that the crew was “grinning ear to ear,” according to CNN.

At 5.57 pm (3.27 am IST), the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship sped through the atmosphere before releasing parachutes for a soft splashdown off the coast of Florida.

As the gumdrop-shaped spacecraft, named Freedom, floated smoothly on the waves under a sunny sky, ground crews cheered. Freedom had been burned from enduring temperatures as high as 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius) during re-entry.

Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks! pic.twitter.com/M4RZ6UYsQ2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025

Freedom was soon lifted aboard a larger recovery vessel. As teams unlocked the hatch, the astronauts were assisted onto mobility aids one by one while displaying thumbs-up gestures and waving.

They will next start a 45-day rehabilitation course in Houston after being transported there by helicopter.

Teams at Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston will focus on helping the astronauts re-acclimate to Earth’s gravity.

“PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT,” the White House posted on X, asserting a claim that US President Donald Trump accelerated the recovery timeline.

PM Modi’s invitation to Williams

In a letter to Williams, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished her well and a safe return. He added that her accomplishments were a source of pride for 1.4 billion Indians.

In the letter dated March 1, PM Modi said, “When I met President Trump or President Biden during my visits to the United States, I inquired about your well-being. 1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements. Recent developments have yet again showcased your inspirational fortitude and perseverance. Even though you are thousands of miles away, you continue to remain close to our hearts. The people of India are praying for your good health and success in your mission."

As the whole world waits, with abated breath, for the safe return of Sunita Williams, this is how PM Sh @narendramodi expressed his concern for this daughter of India.
“Even though you are thousands of miles away, you remain close to our hearts,” says PM Sh Narendra Modi’s… pic.twitter.com/MpsEyxAOU9

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) March 18, 2025

In the letter, Modi recalled his 2016 visit to the US, where he also met Williams’ late father, Deepak Pandya. Bonnie Pandya, Williams’ mother, “must be keenly waiting” for her return, according to the letter.

“After your return, we are looking forward to seeing you in India. It will be a pleasure for India to host one of its most illustrious daughters," he added.

Falguni Pandya, Williams’ sister-in-law, confirmed to NDTV that they plan to visit India soon. “We don’t have exact dates, but she’s definitely going to come to India soon. I hope this year.”

Earlier, speaking to News18, Pandya recounted her visit to India for the Kumbh Mela in February, where Williams was fascinated about the festival. She even sent a picture from space of the Kumbh Mela. “When I shared my pictures of the Kumbh Mela with her, she sent me a picture from space. It was an iconic picture of the Kumbh Mela," she said.

The prolonged stay

Williams and Wilmore were on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft to test its maiden crewed voyage in June 2024 and went on space expedition for a little over a week.

However, the space administration determined that their Boeing Starliner was unsuitable to transport the two astronauts back to Earth due to propulsion problems.

Williams had been waiting for the replacement shuttle to return to Earth from the ISS ever since.

There had been a lot of speculation around Williams and Wilmore’s extended space mission.

But according to CNN, the astronauts have denied being “stranded,” “abandoned,” or “stuck” on numerous occasions.

“That’s been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck — and I get it, we both get it,” Wilmore told CNN in February. “Help us change the narrative, let’s change it to: prepared and committed despite what you’ve been hearing. That’s what we prefer.”

With inputs from agencies